CSA congratulates Proteas on No 1 ranking

Cape Town - Cricket South Africa (CSA) has congratulated the Proteas on completing back-to-back five-match series clean sweeps and in the process gaining the No 1 position on the ICC ODI rankings table.

READ: Proteas rout Sri Lanka, complete ODI sweep

"This has been a year without parallel in the history of our ODI cricket," commented CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat.

"It is almost exactly a year to the day (February 9, 2016) when the team started their current run of success that has seen them win a record 14 ODIs in a row on home soil. This impressive run shows the sustained excellence they have brought to their game with many individual and team highlights.

"Winning clean sweep series is a relatively rare occurrence and to do it twice in a row against the likes of Australia and Sri Lanka, both former World Cup champions, is a fantastic achievement.

"It augurs well for our forthcoming tours to New Zealand and England, and of course the ICC Champions Trophy.

"Many congratulations are due to captain AB de Villiers, stand-in captain Faf du Plessis, head coach Russell Domingo and all the players and management. Du Plessis achieved the outstanding feat of becoming the second Protea after Hashim Amla to score 400 runs in a five-match ODI Series and he deserves congratulations for that too.

"We wish the Proteas bon voyage as they leave for New Zealand," concluded Mr. Lorgat.

The Proteas depart for New Zealand on Saturday evening and will play a tour consisting of one T20I and five ODIs.

The first T20I gets underway on Friday, February 17 at Eden Park (08:00 SA time).

Proteas ODI squad to NZ:

AB de Villiers (Titans, ODI captain), Faf du Plessis (Titans, T20 captain), Hashim Amla (Cape Cobras), Farhaan Behardien (Titans), Quinton de Kock (Titans), JP Duminy (Cape Cobras), Imran Tahir (Dolphins), David Miller (Knights), Chris Morris (Titans), Wayne Parnell (Cape Cobras), Dane Paterson (Cape Cobras), Andile Phehlukwayo (Dolphins), Dwaine Pretorius (Highveld Lions), Kagiso Rabada (Highveld Lions), Tabraiz Shamsi (Titans)